Britain's plan to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda as early as next week was green given a greenlight on Friday, after the High Court in London denied an injunction to block the first flight.

The UK government announced in April that it had entered into a pact to send asylum-seekers to the East African country, in a move that it insisted was aimed at disrupting people-smuggling networks and deterring migrants from making the dangerous Channel crossing to England from Europe.

The policy, which has drawn widespread criticism since it was unveiled by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, saw its first legal challenge on Friday, when the High Court granted an injunction preventing the first deportation flight on June 14. More than 30 people were expected to be on board, PA Media reported.

(With input from agencies)